Abstract: A housing including longitudinally extending tubular members interconnected to allow controlled relative bending thereof, during a drilling operation, a rotary drive transmitting torsion bar extending generally longitudinally within the housing to controllably bend in response to relative bending of said members, a rotary drill bit operatively connected to said torsion bar to be rotated as the bar rotates, a rotary drive operatively connected to the torsion bar to rotate the bar, means for controlling relative bending of the said members during torsion bar rotation and as a function of such rotation.

Abstract: A housing including longitudinally extending tubular members interconnected to allow controlled relative bending thereof, during a drilling operation, a rotary drive transmitting torsion bar extending generally longitudinally within the housing to controllably bend in response to relative bending of said members, a rotary drill bit operatively connected to said torsion bar to be rotated as the bar rotates, a rotary drive operatively connected to the torsion bar to rotate the bar, means for controlling relative bending of the said members during torsion bar rotation and as a function of such rotation.

Abstract: An apparatus for steerable rotary drilling of a borehole having a wall in the earth comprising a mandrel having a central opening there through for the passage of drilling fluids. The mandrel having a lower connection for operatively connecting to a drill bit structure and an upper connection for operatively connecting to a drill string above said apparatus. The mandrel further having an intermediate portion, an outer housing surrounding longitudinal extent of the mandrel intermediate portion, a differential displacement drive within the outer housing, one or more pairs of radially-extensible, opposed side-force exerting elements controlled by the differential displacement drive to provide for side force exertion against the borehole wall.

Abstract: For use in a wellbore containing a rotary drill string and a drill bit, the combination comprising, a rotary mandrel containing a through opening to pass drilling fluid downwardly from the interior of the drill string, and toward the bit, a non-rotary housing extending about the mandrel, a plenum or plenums in the housing in communication with the interior of the mandrel through an opening to receive fluid pressure used to actuate means associated with drilling activity in the well, and a controlled fluid gap proximate the housing, to slowly leak drilling fluid to the annulus outside the string.

Abstract: An apparatus for the protection of instrumentation placed within a drill string in a well, as during drilling comprising support structure, including a carrier sized for reception in the string, and; elastomeric structure carried by the support structure and including multiple elastomeric pads spaced about a longitudinal axis defined in the well, the pads extending generally longitudinally, and protruding in directions radially of the axis to absorb radial loading and torsional loading exerted in direction about the axis, and to deflect in said directions of radial and torsional loading.

Abstract: An apparatus for the protection of instrumentation placed within a drill string in a well, as during drilling comprising support structure, including a carrier sized for reception in the string, and; elastomeric structure carried by the support structure and including multiple elastomeric pads spaced about a longitudinal axis defined in the well, the pads extending generally longitudinally, and protruding in directions radially of the axis to absorb radial loading and torsional loading exerted in direction about the axis, and to deflect in said directions of radial and torsional loading.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting instrumentation in a drill collar in a well, such instrumentation being subject to travel in the well to and from the drill collar comprising instrumentation having upper and lower end portions and being elongated between the end portions; there being tongue and groove interfit elements to suspend the instrumentation at the drill collar; one of the elements carried by the drill collar, and the other of the elements carried by the upper portion of the instrumentation, whereby the elements interfit as the instrumentation is traveled downwardly in the drill collar with the instrumentation lower portion hanging freely below the level of the elements.

Abstract: A releasable and reseatable electrical connection between female and male members associated with disconnectible sections of wireline used in a drill string in a borehole comprising the male member defining a first axis and having an externally exposed electrical contact ring, extending about the axis; the female member defining a second axis and having a conductive part extending at least part way about the second axis; and a spring element in electrical connection with the part and inwardly exposed for making electrical contact with the contact ring upon telescopic interfitting of the members.

Abstract: A rope socket assembly for making a combined electrical and mechanical connection in a wireline having an inner electrical conductor, a coaxial insulation layer about the conductor, and an outer protection wire covering about the insulation layer for survey, steering or logging use in a borehole, the wireline having opposite end portions and associated inner conductor end portions comprising a rope socket housing having a bore to receive the opposite end portions of the wireline; two tubular threading plugs positioned in the bore for receiving the respective end portions of the wireline; two sleeves positioned in the bore to extend about the respective plugs; and an insulator block received in the bore between the sleeves, and structure within the block for establishing electrical connection between the inner conductor end portions associated with the wireline end portions.

Abstract: Information is conducted upwardly from a location deep within a well by a transmitter which is located in the well and induces electrical currents in the surrounding earth formation. These currents are sensed at an upper location by readout equipment connected to two electrodes which are in electrical contact with the earth at spaced locations. One of the electrodes is at a subsurface location and is connected to the readout equipment by an insulated conductor. In offshore drilling situations, the specified subsurface electrode is at the very least located beneath the surface of the ocean or other body of water through which the well extends, and in most instances is preferably embedded within the earth formation under that body of water, and at a location spaced beneath the seabed.

Abstract: A hole in the earth is formed utilizing a drill string containing an instrument connected by a flexible conductive line to a unit at the surface of the earth. During intervals when the length of the drill string is being changed, as by addition of another pipe section to the outer end of the string, the connection between the flexible line and the surface unit is temporarily broken, so that the instrument and line can be left in the drill string while the section is added and for ultimate reconnection to the surface unit through the added section. A portion of the flexible line may be wound about an element in the string, to be unwound therefrom each time that the string is lengthened, to thereby correspondingly increase the effective length of the line.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for enabling an instrument and a connected flexible line contained in a drill string to be left in the string while a pipe section is being added to or removed from the string, to thereby avoid the inconvenience and loss of time normally involved in removing the instrument and flexible line from the string on each such occasion. This result is preferably accomplished by initially threading the flexible line at the surface of the earth through a series of extra pipe sections positioned at a storage location adjacent the well, so that each of these sections can then be successively moved from that location to a position of connection into the upper end of the drill string with the flexible line already installed in the added section.